O’Connell lifts Hayes to top of the props

JOHN Hayes is a man of few words, so it may not have dawned on many people that he makes his 58th appearance for Ireland tomorrow and surpasses Phil Orr’s record as the most capped Irish prop.

Hayes doesn’t do press interviews so it’s as well he has a man of Paul O’Connell’s stature to sing his praises. Hardly a match passes that O’Connell doesn’t mention the big Cappamore man’s name. Playing his first game after a long-term injury in the Celtic League against Connacht, O’Connell stole an opposition throw on their own line and plunged over for an important and dramatic try. It helped earn him the man-of-the-match tag. Much the same happened last Saturday in the lead-up to the first Irish try. Again he was voted man of the match.

O’Connell insisted it couldn’t have happened without Hayes’s lifting expertise. So, it seemed a good idea to ask him to explain Big John’s strong points for the casual observer.